CHAPTER III 



DAWS IN THE WEST COUNTRY 



Daws are more abundant in the west and south- 

 west of England generally than in any other 

 part of the kingdom ; and they abound most 

 in Somerset, or so it has seemed to me. It is 

 true that the largest congregations of daws in 

 the entire country are to be seen at Savemake 

 in Wiltshire, where the ancient hollow beeches 

 and oaks in the central parts of the forest supply 

 them with all the nesting holes they require. 

 There is no such wood of old decaying trees 

 in Somerset to attract them to one spot in 

 such vast numbers, but the country generally 

 is singularly favourable to them. It is mainly 

 a pastoral country with large areas of rich, low 

 grass land, and ranges of high hiUs, where there 

 are many rocky precipices such as the daw loves. 



F 6s 



